MERRY CHRISTMAS

MERRY CHRISTMAS
Originally uploaded by linfrye

MERRY, MERRY CHRISTMAS to you and yours! May this holiday season be the absolute BEST!

Yesterday was incredibly wonderful, with the three grandchildren behaving so very well during dinner and waiting, as patiently as children under 4 can wait, to open their gifts. Yes, they KNEW gifts were waiting for them! LOL

We had separated each child's gifts, even color-coded them with different wrapping papers so that we could keep a bit of order to things. We 'covered' each area with blankets so that the children couldn't see anything but lumps of blankets and help keep their having to wait to open gifts a bit easier if they didn't have anything to SEE to tempt them.

When dinner was finished and leftovers were put in the refrigerator, we all moved to the living room. We removed the blankets and placed a parent with each of the grands to help open gifts. Charles, Mom and I collected wrapping, took pix and generally encouraged thank you's and don't forget's ... and believe it or not, it went awesomely well! Sqeals of joy, laughter, sounds of running batteries, paper flying, sounds of "Mommy", "Daddy," "Nonna" all kept the activity level high and exuberant! I have to say that Nick was the funniest -- he fell in love IMMEDIATELY with his toddler work bench and proceeded to drill and hammer -- and ignore the other gifts waiting to be opened .... when we prodded him to open these, he said, "I'm tired of opening presents!" LOL Imagine that! LOL

Emily was her sweet grown-up self, opening gifts carefully, ooohing and ahhing like an adult even at clothing (at 4!!!)! LOL She loved her easel and proceeded to place her alphabets on one side of the board to spell her name! Taylor was as ladylike and careful about each and everything she opened -- delighted most of all with a child-sized broom and mop which she proceeded to use in the paper-strewn room. It was sheer, heart-filling delight to see these children in delirious confusion and joy!

The grown-ups waited to open their gifts until the children began to actually play with their new toys, or in some cases, played with boxes and toys they were familiar with. Coffee and cheesecake followed after all gift wrap and boxes cleared enough space ....

I'll have to post a few photos later today. But it truly was a gift -- to participate in these most precious of moments and to share these special, special times with my family. Living as we do so far from one another, each of us busy with work, family and other obligations, these times, these shared holidays become more and more precious not only because they're spent with those we love, but because they are far less frequent than we'd like.

This morning, we fix quiche and sweet rolls and head to my son's to watch a replay of yesterday at their house as Santa arrives this morning.

May your holidays be filled with love, joy and the memories that will last a lifetime. I sincerely thank each of you for your well wishes, encouragement and kindness, your friendship and your support .......May your kindnesses be returned to you tenfold ... and may your holiday be blessed with joy and all the love you deserve! And may each of us remember those not with us, and most of all, the reason we celebrate today.